


C'rizz and Charley: A Parallel

by yellowbessie



Category: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Angst, Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 04:32:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5192474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowbessie/pseuds/yellowbessie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I’ve been relistening to the audios and realized that Charley and C’rizz have something in common. This is a little story about that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	C'rizz and Charley: A Parallel

The Doctor, Charley, and C’rizz spent the past two days hacking their way through the jungle. Charley was tired of being bitten by so many insects. C’rizz was tired of Charley’s complaining. And the Doctor was just plain tired.

It was a relief when they stumbled across the waterfall. C’rizz dove right in, while the Doctor and Charley removed most of their clothing before fully immersing themselves. 

It felt glorious to be clean again! Charley and the Doctor made a game of splashing each other while C’rizz watched warily fascinated by their interactions.

After the initial fun, things quieted down. The Doctor set about trying to wash their shirt, quietly mumbling to no one in particular about how their shirts always seemed to end up in such disrepair. 

C’rizz had moved away to lie on a sunny rock - adding another check to Charley’s list of of reptilian characteristics exhibited by their new friend. Charley wasn’t familiar with the species and their habits, but her new friend seemed sad, and she couldn’t let him be sad alone, (especially around all this water - she remembered how he’d tried to drown himself when they first met).

She stretched out on the ground not too far away from him. ‘Mmm! This is nice,’ she yawned.

His yellow eyes opened as he looked at her. ‘You’re looking well, Charlotte. Your body is the same now as it was before? You’ve recovered from the Kromon elixir?’

‘Yes, much better now, thank you.’ Charley shuddered, not wanting to remember her experiences in the Kromon biodome.

C’rizz gazed off into the distance. ‘I can’t help but wonder if the Salander antidote could have saved L’da.’

Charley quickly jumped to his defense. ‘You couldn’t have known.’

‘At the time, I was certain killing her was the only option.’

‘It was.’ Charley agreed softly.

But C’rizz was still trying to justify his actions, more to himself than anyone else. ‘She _asked_ me to kill her.’

‘You did the right thing.’ Charley confirmed soothingly.

C’rizz shrank into his own mind, reliving the memories. He didn’t notice how affected Charley was by this conversation.

‘It takes a lot of courage to kill the one you love,’ she said finally, leaving him to his thoughts and meditations

*  *  * _  
_

_Kill me._  
_I can’t._  
_Kill me._  
_I love you!_  
_Kill me._  
_You wouldn’t ask, unless…_  
_Kill me.  
_ _Unless you didn’t love me back._

_*  *  *_

With most of their clothes laying out to dry, Charley couldn’t stop staring at the Doctor’s chest. In the center, where she had stabbed Zagreus, was an angry red scar, her own scarlet letter branded on the one she loved. _  
_

_She felt the blade stop, its hilt flush against the Doctor’s chest.  
_ _‘I’m sorry,’ she whimpered, ‘I’m so sorry!’_

The Doctor looked up and asked after C’rizz, ‘Is he alright?’

Returning to reality, Charley looked back at the Eutermesan. ‘He was compelled to kill the one he loved. He’s hurt, guilty, haunted by the memories of what he did. But yes, I think he’ll be alright in the end.’

‘That’s my Charley,’ the Doctor smiled at her, ‘Ever the optimist.’

She nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat, and swam off to the waterfall to try to wash away the memories. _  
_

_You are crying, Charlotte Pollard._  
_I am not!  
_ _Not on the outside._


End file.
